Interpretative musical notation.



A. SCHROEDER.

INTERPRETATIVE MUSICAL NOTATION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY16.19I5.

1,171,467. 7 Patented Feb. 15,1916. 7

[3 M M $4M *6/14 @4 THE COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH'CO" WASHINGTON. n. c.

ALWIN SCI-IROEDER, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

INTERPRETATIVE MUSICAL NOTATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Application filed July 16, 1915. Serial No 40,198.

To all whom-it may concern: I Be it known that I, ALWIN SoHRoEonR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Inter pretative Musical Notation, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a system or man ner of musical notation intended to indicate to the performer nuances of musical tempi; and is particularly intended for use in musical compositions written for instruments, such as piano, violin, cello, etc.

In modern musical notation, the basis of time value is the whole note or semi-breve; the time values of various shorter notes be ing aliquot parts of this whole note, such as 11-, g, etc. These rigid divisions of the time-value are often insufficient toindicate that duration of the notes or tones, which should be given to produce the proper musical interpretation of the written musicr The same group of notes played with mathematical accuracy according to the written score, will when played with the proper va riations in time, produce quite a different effeet. In the one case the effect is colorless, while in the other there is ashading or col oring, which produces a far livelier impresslon.

In the accompanying drawing,Figures 1, 2 and 3 are separate lines of music, indicating the manner in which my interpretative notation is carried out.

In Fig. 1 each group of notes has four sixteenth notes, but in group 1, the first three notes are more widely spaced, indicating that, while the whole group is to occupy substantially the time of a quarter note, the

. first three, instead of each being in duration a strict sixteenth note, are each a little longer than a sixteenth note, the fourth note being somewhat less. It will be noted also that the first and third, and fifth and seventh groups of sixteenth notes are identical; but, according to my notation, the first three notes of the first and fifth groups would be given a time duration differing from that given to the same notes occurring in the third and seventh groups, this difference being indicated by the spacing. The remaining groups would be played as sixteenth notes having all the same value. 55.

In Fig. 2, the first note of the first group is spaced more widely from the second note,

the second, third, and fourth notes being separated by equal distances, thus indicating that this first note is to be given a greater duration than one-sixteenth, while the other notes are of equal but correspondingly shorter duration. Similarly, the first notes of the third and fifth groups of this figure, are indicated as having a longer duration than the other notes of their respective groups. played according to the indicated value, viz., as sixteenth notes.

In Fig. 3, I have shown an additional use of spacing between the notes to indicate, particularly in the music of songs, the Zuftpause or point at which breath is to be taken. This space is left, as indicated at the end of the first bar on Fig. 3, between the last note of one phrase or figure and the beginning of the next, and may occur either at the end of a baror measure or at some intermediate point within the measure.

By my invention these interpretative indications are placed directly within the area I at which the eye of the performer must look in order to read the music; and he is not re- The remaining groups would be quired to focus his eyes on time marks or indications above or under the notes but is enabled to observe these indications when looking at the notes themselves.

I am aware that in modern musical nota- [dotted note, grace note, etc., but these are not sufficient to indicate coloring or shading which can be shown by my interpretative printing.

I am not aware that it has before been suggested to afford to the performer a simple indication such as that above described, whereby he may be guided in the slight variations in time, which though small in themselves, produce a wide difference in musical effect.

It will be noted that my system does not involve any change in the ordinary methods of printing music except such lateral spacing of the notes as may be required to indicate the proper interpretation or performance of some particular passage; and that my system permits the useof all the usual indications of time, emphasis, etc., but adds a new feature which assists in the more artistic rendition of written music, by which is provided a means by which the performer isenabled to give to the music a reading in accordance with that interpretation which is given by a master in the art.

I claim 1. system of interpretative musical" notation in which spaces Wider than those spaces, not all of which are equal, the spacing corresponding to the duration to be given to the notes in performance of the music, whereby nuances of temp1 are ind cated, substantially asand for the purpose described.

3. A system of interpretative musical notation in which the several notes of a group of notes are separated by spaces, not

all of which are equal, the spacing corresponding to the duration to be given to the notes in performance of the music, whereby nuance of tempi are indicated, substantially as and for the purpose described. I I

l; A system of interpretative musical notation in Which spaces Wider than those required 111 the ordinary printingare provided between the end of one phrase or figure and the beginningof the next, substantially for the purpose described.

5, A system of interpretative musical notation in which the several notes of a group of notes are separated by spaces, not all of which are equal, the spacing corresponding to the duration to be given to the notes in performance of the music, and wider spaces provided wherever desirable between the ending of one phrase and the beginning of the next, substantially as and for the purposes described. 1

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALWIN SCHROEDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Com i i of yatenm Washington. 1x03 7 

